Adjustable partition for stock-cars.



PATNTED AMM 26, 1908.'

G. A. PETERS. ADJUSTABLE PARTITION FOR STOCK CARS.

APPLICATION FILED DB0. 27, 1907.

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No, 888,844. PATENTED MAY 28,`|19'o8.

G.- A. PETEES.

ADJUSTABLE PARTITION EOE STOCK GARS.

'APPLICATION FILED DBO. 27,1907.

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GEORGE A. PETERS, OF HUTOHINSON, MINNESOTA.

ADJUSTABLE PARTITION FOR STOCK-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent. y

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application filed December 27, 1907. Serial No. 408,327.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. PETERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of McLeod and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Partitions for Stock-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to stock cars and has for its object to provide an improved adjustable partition for separating the car body into different compartments.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

It is a well known fact that in shipping stock it is very often desirable to put cattle, hogs or sheep, or sometimes all three, in the same car, and, when this is done, it is necessary to keep the different kinds of stock separated.

My invention provides a simple and efiicient car partition which is adjustable so as to properly divide up the space of the car for mixed shipment of stock; and, furthermore, provides a simple means for opening a part of the partition so that the stock may be driven from the one compartment to the other, or an attendant may readily pass from the one compartment to the other.

The invention, in its preferred form, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section taken transversely through the intermediate portion of the body of a stock car of standard construction, and illustrating one of my improved adjustable partitions applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective, showing one of the couplings-for connecting one of the gates of the partition to the adjacent side'of the car body; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the intermediate portion of the car body, approximately on the line x3 x3 of Fig.

1, and showing the adjustable partition fold- A ed and secured in an inoperative position near the roof of the car.

The car body, which is indicated as an entirety by the numeral 1 is of the usual or any suitable construction, and, to the inner surfaces of its sides, are attached longitudinally extended upper and lower anchoring rails or strips, preferably in the form of iron pi es 2 which are rigidly secured to the sai car sides, by staples 3. These so-called `anchoring rails or strips may, however, take various forms so far as the broad idea of my invention is concerned.

Extending longitudinally of the car body, close to the roof thereof, is a pair of guide rails, shown as in the form of heavy iron rods 4. These rods will be rigidly secured to the ends of the car body, and, when desired, may be secured to the car roof at suitable intermediate oints.

The adjustable partition, as preferably constructed, is made up of three sections, towit, an intermediate body section and a pair of reversely projecting gate sections. The intermediate body section, as shown, is made up of a pair of vertically extended laterally spaced posts 5, an upper tie bar 6 and a multiplicity of vertically spaced partition bars 7, which latter tie together the lower portions of said posts. The gates are each made u of a multiplicity of parallel gate bars 8, eac pivotally' connected at 9 to the intermediate portion of a partition bar 7, and pivotally connected at their outer ends to a vertically extended gate post 10.

To the upper end of each partition post 5 is rigidly secured a metal cap 11 having an u wardly projecting eye 1 1 a, to which is loose y connected a yoke-like bracket 12 that embraces' the corres onding guide rail 4 and is provided with a sheaveor wheel 13 that runs upon said rail. The intermediate portions of the gate bars 8 work between and are guided by the partition posts 5 and vertically extended guide rods 14 that are secured at their upper and lower ends to the upper and lower ends of the corresponding posts 5.

Mounted to slide vertically upon each ost 5 is a so-called anchoring rod 15 provide as shown, at their upper ends with hand-pieces 16 and having sharpened lower ends 15a, which latter are adapted to be placed into the car floor to assist in securing the adjustable partition in any set position.

Rigidly secured to the outer end of each gate post 10 is a pair of vertically extended coupling yokes 17. On the vertically extended portion of each coupling yoke 17 a pronged coupling head 18 1s pivotally and slidably mounted. These pronged coupling heads 18 are adapted to embrace the upper and lower anchoring pipes 2 and are adapted to be secured in different positions thereon by means of pins or bolts 19 which, in turn, are adapted to be passed through perforations in the prongs of said heads 18 and through any of a series of perforations 2O in said pipes. As shown, the pins 19 are-connected to the yoke 17 by means of short chains 21 which prevent the same from being lost or displaced when not in use.

In Fig. 1 the adjustable partition is shown as anchored by one of the sharp pointed anchoring rods 15, and the gate at the right is shown assecured to the coperating anchoring pipes 2, while the gate at the left is shown as raised into an inoperative position, so as to permit stock to be driven from the one side to the other of the partition, or to permit an attendant to readily pass from the one side to the other of said partition. Of course, when the partition is in position to divide the different kinds of stock, both of the gates will be secured in lowered positions,

The coupling heads 18 are mountedv for both pivotal and sliding movements on the yoke 17, so that they may better adapt themselves to any inaccuracies in the spacing of the cooperating posts 2, or to the varying positions of the partition itself, it being, of

.Y course, understood that saidpartition will not, in its different adjustments, always stand in exactly the same relation to the anchoring pipes.

As is evident, the partition above described may be very quickly adjusted to different positions and in every way is a very easily operated and highly satisfactory device for the purposes had in view.

4Then it is not desired to use the partition, both gates are moved into inoperative or folded positions, as indicated at the left in Fig. 1, and then the folded partition is turned pivotally upward against the rails 4 and the free end portion thereof is secured to said rails by suitable devices, such, for instance, as by hooks 22 on said rails, that engage with eyes 23 secured to the lower ends of the posts 5, as shown in Fig. 3. Vhen the gate is thus secured in its raised or inoperative position it will be entirely out of the way and may be slid upon the railsl 4 to any desired position.

The device above described may, at small cost, be easily applied to stock cars of standard construction. The utility thereof will be readily appreciated by all persons familiar with the shipment of stock.

W'hat I claim is: 1. A partition for car bodies comprising an intermediate body portion and adjustableV gates projecting from the opposite sides thereof, each gate comprising a multiplicity of parallel bars pivotally connected at their inner ends to the intermediate portion of said body portion for movement in a vertical plane, and gate posts pivoted to the outer ends of said bars and connecting the same for parallel swinging movements, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a car body having longitudinally extended guide rails secured in the vicinity of the roof thereof and having longitudinally extended anchoring bars secured to the inner surfaces of the sides thereof, of an adjustable partition comprising an intermediate body section suspended from and mounted to travel on said rails, and adjustable gates pivotally connected to the intermediate portion of and projecting from the opposite sides of said body section for movements in a vertical plane and provided at their free edges with means for detachably securing the same to the said anchoring bars, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a car body, of an adjustable partition extended from the upper portion of said car body with freedom for traveling movements longitudinally thereof and provided with vertically movable anchoring rods having sharp lower ends adapted to engage the iioor of the car, substantially as described.

L1. The combination with a car body having perforated anchoring bars secured to the inner surfaces of the sides thereof, of an adjustable partition comprising an intermediate body section and gates projecting from' the opposite sides thereof, each gate comprising parallel bars and a gate post connecting the free ends thereof, means supporting said'intermediate gate section from the car body with freedom for traveling movements longitudinally thereof, pronged coupling heads adjustably connected to the outer edge portions of said gates, and pins for detachably connecting said coupling heads to said perforated anchoring bars, substantially as described.

5. In an adjustable partition for car bodies the combination with an intermediate body section having vertically extended posts and vertically extended guide rods secured at their upper and lower ends to said posts, of gates made up of parallel bars and posts pivotally connecting the free ends thereof, which gate bars work between the coperating posts and guide rods of said intermediate body section and are pivotally connected to the latter at their inner ends, and means applied to the outer edge portions of said gates for detachably securing the same to the sides of a car, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof l aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. PETERS. lVitnesses:

H. H. BoNNiwELL, SAM G. ANDERsoN, Jr. Y i 

